The city of Avila wins first prize in the City.People.Light awards 2015

Awards created by Philips in partnership with LUCI Association (Lighting Urban Community International Association) recognize creative use of light as a tool for urban regeneration

September 25, 2015

Helsinki, Finland – The city of Avila in Spain has been awarded the first prize for its city center lighting masterplan ‘New Nightscape’, announced at the 13th annual City.People.Light awards ceremony on 25 September 2015 in Helsinki, Finland. The lighting design was executed by lighting design company AUREOLIGHTING, who also received the award.

Mr. Rafael Gallego, lighting designer for Ávila’s masterplan, commented: “Ávila's new nightscape is a project to upgrade all the existing street lighting in the urban area to have both a functional and ornamental purpose. The new lighting plan reinforces the city's outstanding cultural values while being infused with the philosophy of conservation that has given the city such a proud heritage. The lighting masterplan for Avila is based in a new lighting philosophy that takes into consideration four areas: functional, architectural, commercial and festive lighting.

The town of Avila in central Spain is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is sometimes called the ‘’Town of Stones and Saints’, reputed for the large number of Romanesque and Gothic churches to be found within it. “Philips and LUCI, the international network of cities on urban lighting, created the City.People.Light awards more than a decade ago to celebrate the most sustainable urban regeneration projects that creatively use light to improve the lives and experience of citizens and visitors alike,” said Astrid Simonsen Joos, Market Leader for Philips Lighting in the Nordic region. “The use of light is well thought through in the entire city, taking into account urban design principles such as sustainability and the architectural integration of the lighting systems.’’

Runners up from Valenciennes (France) and Baia Mare (Romania)

Second prize - Artistic escapes at twilight, Valenciennes, FranceThis lighting masterplan covered the renovation of 41 existing architectural lighting systems and the creation of 9 new architectural lighting projects. It includes the lighting of two of the principal nocturnal routes through the city, 1100 meters and 700 meters long, that meet in the very center of the town. The interactivity of city lights with inhabitants inspires people to walk in the city at night, to once again discover the magnificence of their architectural heritage. The lighting design was executed by French lighting studio CONCEPTO.

Third prize – Rehabilitation of Fortress Square, Baia Mare, RomaniaThe project is part of the urban masterplan that started in 2005 and is a cultural component of the entire Baia Mare city center reconstruction in north-western Romania. The purpose of this project was to restore the memory of the most important city monument – St. Stephen’s Church - related to the birth of the city. The lighting provides an ambient lighting atmosphere that highlights buildings, trees, major city routes and emphasizes the main landmarks of the city: St.Stephen’s Tower, the ruins of St. Stephen's Church and of the two other churches that were discovered, the Church of Saint Catherine and the Saint Martin Church. The lighting design was created by Mitru Ildiko, chief architect for the project.

For more information about the runners up, special mentions and the People Choice award, see the media backgrounder.

For further information on the winners and all other nominations in this year’s City.People.Light awards, please click here.

Amsterdam Railway Bridge Underpass

Mellila

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About Royal Philips

Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a diversified health and well-being company, focused on improving people’s lives through meaningful innovation in the areas of Healthcare, Consumer Lifestyle and Lighting. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips posted 2014 sales of EUR 21.4 billion and employs approximately 106,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. The company is a leader in cardiac care, acute care and home healthcare, energy efficient lighting solutions and new lighting applications, as well as male shaving and grooming and oral healthcare. News from Philips is located at www.philips.com/newscenter .

About the international City.People.Light awards

The City.People.Light awards set out to recognize the efforts cities make to ‘rehumanize’ their environments, applying light as a tool in urban development for the well-being of those who live, work, visit or do business in a city. Awards are given to cities which best integrate an appreciation of contemporary urban living needs with the notions of ‘City’, ‘People’ and ‘Light’ in a consistent lighting strategy. The awards were created by Philips in partnership with LUCI (Lighting Urban Community International Association). LUCI is a unique international network bringing together 70 cities, covering four continents, and 40 associated members (international companies, lighting designers, architects, universities and independent lighting professionals), who are all engaged in using light as a major tool for urban development, with a strong focus on livability and concern for sustainability and environmental issues. By rewarding and putting forward cities which share this vision of urban lighting, the City.People.Light award helps cities within LUCI - and beyond – progress towards a better use of light..